Data management to enhance long‐term watershed research capacity: context and STEWARDS case study

Abstract

Water resources are under pressure globally due to growing population, human migration into arid regions, and diverse competing needs. In recent decades, progress in the study of information (informatics) and its manipulation via computer-based tools has stimulated development of data systems in many natural resources disciplines. Such informatics systems provide data storage, access, visualization, perhaps with analysis/modelling tools, and download capacity. Application of database technology can overcome problems of fragmentation, inadequate documentation, and cumbersome manipulation of complex data. Data management was a critical requirement for USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) which was established to quantify environmental effects of agricultural conservation practices. Although USDA and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have conducted watershed research since early 20th century, the data have been managed and disseminated independently from each research location, reducing accessibility and utility of these data for policy-relevant, multi-site analyses.

Water quality data for national‐scale aquatic research: The Water Quality Portal

“…The WQP aggregates and standardizes data from three data sources, each of which is an independently maintained system of record (i.e., funded, operated, and maintained independently of the WQP by Federal agency owners). The Federal agency data owners are ultimately responsible for long-term stewardship of the data made available by the WQP: the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) [USGS, 2016], U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Sustaining the Earth's Watersheds-Agricultural Research Data System (STEWARDS) [Steiner et al, 2009], and the USEPA STOrage and RETrieval Water Quality eXchange (STORET-WQX) [USEPA, 2016]. Of these, the EPA STORET-WQX is the only database to which external data providers (i.e., non-EPA affiliated) may submit data.…”

Impact of the Agricultural Research Service Watershed Assessment Studies on the Conservation Effects Assessment Project Cropland National Assessment

“…To store and manage hydrologic, economic, management, and other data related to the watersheds, the Sustaining the Earth's Watersheds-Agricultural Research Database System (STEWARDS) was developed to fulfill the goals of Objective 1 (Steiner et al 2009). STEWARDS is a web-based data system that integrates, stores, and manages data from the 14 benchmark watersheds for model input parameterization and ultimately model output (figure 2).…”

Long-Term Environmental Research: The Upper Washita River Experimental Watersheds, Oklahoma, USA

“…Kinzig (2001) highlighted the need for interdisciplinary research in the area of communicating scientific information and emphasized benefits of information technology on flows of scientific information to diverse citizen and stakeholder groups. Steiner et al (2009a) discussed the critical need for data systems in natural resources disciplines to provide data storage, access, visualization, and linkage to analysis and modeling tools.…”